The Tak Team Blog

A couple of years ago, I visited an organic vegetable farm in southeast Minnesota, not far from the Mississippi River. Nestled in a valley that sloped down from rolling pasture and cropland sat Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables, a 40-acre farm.

Featherstone was part of a local food web in the upper Midwest, selling at a farmers’ market, through a CSA (community supported agriculture) and to co-op stores in the Twin Cities. But the partners, Jack Hedin and Rhys Williams, who began in 1995, were having a tough time economically and realized they would have to boost sales if they were to become viable. The farm earned about $22,000 a year — split between the two partners — so they had to take on debt to keep going; this, after a 60 to 70 hour work week.

Hedin told me he made some calls and eventually landed a deal with Whole Foods to supply the natural foods chain with organic heirloom tomatoes. When I visited, they were in year two of the contract, picking the tomatoes before their peak ripeness, then shipping them to Chicago for stores in the Midwest. The deal had become the biggest sales channel for their farm; while still “local,” they were not as local as when they sold in their backyard.

There was a lesson here, one that often gets lost in the debate about which is better, local or organic? Too often this is understood as a zero sum game — that the money you spend on organic food at the supermarket will mean less for local farmers. After all, the food you buy is being shipped from who knows where and then often ends up in a processed food product. I’ve heard the argument that if all the money spent on organic food (around $14 billion) were actually channeled to local food, then a lot more small farms would survive and local food networks could expand. Well, Featherstone was doing precisely the opposite: it had entered the organic wholesale marketplace and then sent its tomatoes hundreds of miles away to survive as a small and, yes, local farm.

As consumers, it’s hard to understand these realities since we’re so divorced from the way food is produced. Even for conscious consumers who think about values other than convenience and price — avoiding pesticides, the survival of small farms, artisan food, and, of course, the most basic values, freshness and taste — choices must be made. Should we avoid pesticides at all costs or help small local farmers who may use them? Should we reduce food shipment miles, or buy food produced in an ecologically sound manner regardless of where it’s grown? These questions arise because we want to do what’s right.

The problem, though, is that these questions set up false choices. What Hedin and others showed me was that when it comes to doing the right thing, what really mattered was thinking about the choice — to be aware, to stay informed, and to be conscious of our role as consumers. But what you actually chose — local or organic — didn’t really matter.

Hedin, for example, was competing against farmers he actually knew on the West Coast, who also supplied organic produce to Whole Foods. I met one, Tim Mueller of River Dog Farm, in the one-bar town of Guinda, California. His farm sold produce at the Berkeley Farmers Market about 90 minutes away, but he was also tied to wholesale markets. (I saw River Dog’s heirloom tomatoes in western Massachusetts.) For these organic farmers, selling wholesale was a foundation for economic sustainability.

Moreover, by expanding the organic market, we may be actually helping local farmers. The USDA surveyed farmers’ markets and found that about a third of farmers selling direct were organic — local and organic, that is. In comparison, just one percent of all American farms practice organic agriculture. So for smaller-scale farmers selling direct, organic food has become a key component of their identity. By bringing more people into the organic fold, through whatever gateway they happened to choose, the pool of consumers considering local food would likely increase too.

That’s at least what Jim Crawford, a farmer from south central Pennsylvania believed. His 25-acre operation, New Morning Farm, works two farmers’ markets in Washington, D.C., and Jim played a key role in the growth of local foods in the region, having started out as an organic farmer in the 1970s. He told me he worried when Whole Foods opened a supermarket near his farmers’ market location in Washington because he thought he would lose customers. But over time, he noticed, sales kept rising. He thought the supermarket, which stocked a lot of organic produce from California, was actually converting customers to organic food and they in turn were finding their way to his market.

But what about companies that have pursued the organic marketplace without any concern for local food? What about, say, Earthbound Farm, which has grown into the third largest organic brand and the largest organic produce company in the nation, with its bagged salad mixes in three-quarters of all supermarkets? The company fiercely competed with other organic growers who later went out of business; its salad was grown organically but with industrial-scale agriculture; and the trucks that shipped the salad around the country burned through a lot of fossil fuel.

But Earthbound was competing with the likes of Dole, Fresh Express and ReadyPac in the mainstream market to offer consumers an organic choice. It did little for local food (a saving grace, since it left the market to smaller players). But Earthbound farmed on 26,000 acres of certified organic land, which meant that 267,000 pounds of pesticides and 8.4 million pounds of chemical fertilizers were being removed from use annually, the company estimated. And as studies repeatedly show, organic farming also saves energy (since the production of fertilizer and pesticides consumes one-third of the energy used in farming overall). Earthbound’s accomplishments should not be ignored — even if they are anything but local.

Which brings me to a final point: How we shop. Venues like Whole Foods are not fully organic because people are often unwilling to spend more than a small portion of their grocery budget on organic foods. It’s too expensive. This is one reason why organic food accounts for just two percent of food sales — one percent if you include eating out. Similarly, local foods, though important, total 1-2 percent. So arguing over local or organic is a bit like two people in a room of 100 fighting over who has the more righteous alternative to what the other 98 people are doing. It doesn’t really matter, because the bigger issue is swaying the majority.

When I shop, visiting the Dupont Circle farmers market in Washington, D.C., on Sunday morning and then going to the supermarket, I make choices. I buy local, organic, and conventional foods too, because each meets a need. Is the local product “better” than the organic one? No. Both are good choices because they move the food market in a small way. In choosing them, I can insert my values into an equation that for too long has been determined only by volume, convenience and price. While I have nothing against low prices and convenient shopping, the blind pursuit of these two values can wreak a lot of damage — damage that we ultimately pay for in water pollution, toxic pesticide exposure, livestock health, the quality of food and the loss of small farms. The total bill may not show up at the cash register but it’s one we pay nonetheless.

So what’s my advice? Think about what you’re buying. If you want local food, buy local. If you want organic, buy organic. The point is to make a conscious choice, because as we insert our values into the market, businesses respond and things change. There’s power in what we do collectively, so is there any reason to limit it unnecessarily?

© Samuel Fromartz 2006, reprinted by permission

Author
Samuel Fromartz is a business journalist who has written for Fortune, Business Week, and Inc. Organic Inc. is his first book. He lives in Washington, D.C.

For more information, please visit www.fromartz.com

South of the Mason Dixon line, black eyed peas have simmered on
stoves for decades and are served at the midnight hour on New
Year’s Eve along with the chilled champagne, mixed drinks, and
the beer. Dried, frozen or canned, they have been traditionally
cooked with either ham hocks, ham chunks, or bacon and whatever
other ingredients the home cook adds to them. For the carb and
the cholesterol conscious, turkey bacon or turkey ham is used as
well as a light cooking oil. For the sugar restrictive, a sugar-
free product is substituted. For the eggless, a commerical egg
product is used. For the salt-free, a light salt is used.

Dried Black Eyed Peas

1-lb. dried black eyed peas, rinsed in a colinder
1-ham hock, or a few chunks of ham
1/2-cup onion, chopped
2-cloves garlic, finely chopped
Enough water to cover the peas
1-small can stewed tomatoes, pureed
1-whole jalapeno, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Into a large bowl:Add the dried black eyed peas
and cover them with cold water soaking them overnight. In a skillet: Add a tablespoon of cooking oil and cook the ham until
it is halfway done. Saute the onion and the garlic. Season with
the salt and the pepper.Add the black eyed peas with the water
that they were soaked in and cover them with some more water.
Bring the ingredients to a boil for ten minutes. Turn the heat
down to medium-low. After the black eyed peas are almost
finished cooking add the pureed tomatoes and the whole jalapeno.
Adjust the seasonings. Cook until the peas are done. Serve with
slices of corn bread and butter.

Corn Bread

1-cup flour
1-cup yellow corn meal
1/4-cup sugar
1-Tlb. baking powder
1-tsp. salt
1/4-cup cooking oil
1-egg
1-cup milk, or buttermilk

Directions: Combine the flour, the corn meal, the sugar, the
baking powder, and the salt. Add the liquid ingredients and
combine them with a wooden spoon. Oil an eight-inch rectangular
baking or a round cast iron skillet adding the corn bread batter. Bake at three hundred and fifty degrees for forty-five
minutes.

Black eyed peas were originally cultivated in Asia, India and
Africa. They were brought to the West Indies and the Southern
states in America by slaves. The peas stand for coins and
prosperity. They are a rich source of Calcium, Folate and Vitamin A.

Frozen black eyed peas are usually found in the freezer section
of the grocery store. Bacon is usually used instead of ham for
a better flavor.

Frozen Black Eyed Peas
2-slices bacon, cut into halves
1/2-cup onion, chopped
2-cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-16-oz bag black eyed peas
1/4-tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper

Directions: In a large pot: Cook the bacon until it is almost
done. Saute the chopped onion and the garlic. Add the frozen
black eyed peas and cover them with water. Season with the salt, the pepper and the sugar. Cook on medium-low until they are done.

Canned black eyed peas are the quickest way to cook them and
they are usually well seasoned with added bacon. Although, the
home cook might add two slices of cooked bacon and lightly season
them.

Cooking since the age of fifteen, the author has always enjoyed
enjoyed cooking holiday meals.

This bright-colored citrus fruit has taken its name from ‘Mandarin’, the exuberant colored robes worn by high government officials at the ancient Chinese court. Only the affluent class of the Far East could enjoy the fruit at that time, and it was only in the nineteenth century when the first shipment of this exotic fruit was first brought to the New World.

This popular fruit is slightly oblate in shape, and has a very thin, bright orange peel. The seeds are quite small, and are an interesting shade of green from the inside. Although the skin is thin it can easily come off the fruit, making it easier for you to eat. The tree bearing this citrus fruit may grow up to a height of 7.5 meters, with a green shady spread. It can survive rough droughts, but the fruits are ruined if exposed to extreme cold temperature.

In the American tropical region this fruit is known as mandarina. The best time to enjoy this fruit is from early November until the peak summer season of June. When picking the fruit from the basket, select the ones which are free of any unsightly spots and are heavy for their size. Although a bright-colored mandarin will not guarantee a sweet and fresh fruit, avoid the fruits with mold, cuts or spots. Some growers regularly use dyes to make them appear brighter; on the other hand, some fruits may have green patches even when they are fully ripe and sweet from inside. If you want to enjoy your fruit for a long time, keep them stored in a refrigerator.

Mandarin oranges are usually eaten out-of-hand and are widely used in preparing fruit salads, gelatins, puddings and cakes. Juice is extracted from the small variety, and also canned in syrup. Mandarin oranges provide a good source of essential oil, which is extracted from the peel. It is of great use in flavoring candies, ice creams and carbonated beverages.

It’s that time of the day again. You’re hungry. You’re busy. Your friends are sending you text messages and IM messages asking the age-old question, “What’s for lunch?” You’re so hungry you can’t think straight. You change your status on Facebook.com, pleading for help. You try to run through all of your favorite restaurants in your head but only the same, tired, two or three keep popping up. You know that Santa Fe has over 200 restaurants. There’s got to be SOMETHING new and fun. Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a website that could alleviate this tiresome task? Now there is, SantaFeLunch.com.

Can good Chinese food exist close-to-south-of-the-border? Does seafood, flown in over-night to the Southwest, still taste fresh? Does lasagna cry out for some green chili? If you can’t drive and talk on your cell phone, then why can you eat and drive? These may not the deeper questions in life but they rank right up there with, “Where are my keys?”, and “It’s 5 o’clock. Do you know where your children are?” How many times do you get asked those questions?

SantaFeLunch.com can’t solve global-warming, lower gas prices, feed the hungry, or shelter the homeless. It can relieve you of questions that get in the way of solving these problems. Log on to SantaFeLunch.com today. Realize your capacity for human potential when you aren’t wondering where to eat all the time!

The turkey is a large bird that is used for many delicacies. Deep frying turkey is very popular in the Southern United States, especially Louisiana. It is ideal for barbecues and outdoor parties. Deep frying retains the juiciness inside the turkey, while making the skin crispy. For deep frying, the ideal temperature is between 325 and 365 degrees F. For turkeys that are less than 12 lbs in weight, the frying time is 2 minutes/pound. It is more than 3 minutes/pound for turkeys that are more than 12 lbs in weight.

Deep frying turkey requires certain equipment like a burner, pot, lifting rack, thermometer and more. Around 1 to 2 gallons of oil is required for frying a 12-15 lb turkey. The oil can be strained and filtered and used again. Peanut oil can be used 3 or 4 times, or until the oil turns bad. This can mean foaming, darkening, smelling or excessive smoking. Deep frying of turkey is best done outdoors, because it can be dangerous indoors.

Deep-Fried Turkeys may be seasoned with garlic, tiger sauce, red pepper, salt, kosher salt, or any other ready-to-use seasonings available in the market. Cajun seasoning is very popular. Paul Prudhomme’s Poultry Magic, Creole seasoning, or Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning are other commonly used seasonings. Do not stuff the turkey.

The basic method for deep frying turkey is to heat oil in a pan up to 360 degrees. Temperature can be checked with an oil thermometer attached to the pan. You can use a big pan like the King Cooker or a large, thick stockpot (30-quart or bigger). Inject the marinade into the turkey using a flavor injector. Sprinkle the turkey with a dry rub, kosher salt, and other seasonings till the skin is dry. Insert the turkey slowly into the frying pan. Cook for some time, depending on the size of the turkey. Remove from pan and wrap it with aluminum foil. Wait for 30 minutes before carving it.

Here are some safety tips: Deep-Fried Turkey should be consumed immediately; the leftovers should be stored in the fridge within 2 hours after cooking; the areas which have come into contact with the raw turkey should be cleaned properly, and the oil should be completely cool before filtering and stoning.

There are many more dishes that can be prepared from Deep-Fried Turkey. These can be obtained from family members and friends. The best source is the Internet, which contains many sites that have Deep-Fried Turkey recipes.

Turkey provides detailed information about turkey, turkey hunting, turkey recipes, deep fried turkey and more. Turkey is the sister site of 1200 Calorie Diabetic Diets.

Kids of all ages will enjoy this yummy snack mix featuring honey, brown sugar, cereal and dried fruits.

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups square oat cereal
1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chocolate covered raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

In a saucepan or microwave safe bowl, combine the first five ingredients; heat until the butter is melted. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

In a large bowl, combine cereal, oats and nuts. Drizzle with butter mixture and mix well. Place in a greased 15×10x1-inch baking pan.

Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cranberries and chocolate covered raisins. Store in an airtight container.

© Donna Monday
Earn a College Degree while watching TV!
www.online-distance-learning-careers.com

If you are interested in wine making then you need to do a
little homework before you get started. Wine making is not
something that you can just plunge into and learn along the way,
you need to do some research so that you know that you are not
missing any vital wine making steps or processes. If you do miss
these wine making your wine could very well turn out tasting
like anything but wine.

Wine making is a something fun that you can do in your spare
time and at the end you will have a glorious result. Wine making
is something that people tend to get hooked on because the very
first batch is not usually perfect, it may taste delicious but
it will not be perfect. As you learn about wine making and as
you get the wine making experience behind you your wine will get
better and better. You will undoubtedly pick up tips and tricks
to help you improve your wine making capabilities.

The vast majority of wines use the grape for a reasons and this
is because this little grape will have so many of the necessary
wine ingredients already infused into it. In wine making your
success is going to be all about balance and chemicals and the
grape has many of the necessary chemicals in it already.

For good and delicious wine making you need to have the right
balance of sugar, tannin, moisture and nutrients, well, it just
so happens that the grape fits the bill to perfection. This
allows for the grape to ferment, as it needs to for successful
wine making. Choosing the right grape is only the beginning of
your wine making journey though.

There are many different grapes that you can use and when you
get more skilled at wine making you might want to add a little
of some other fruits to the mix to give your wine some extra
depth and flavoring. Read about the different grapes that can be
used in wine making and how they affect the outcome of the wine
making process. You know what kind of wine you like so this will
give you an idea of which direction to take your wine making in.

Wine making is fun, remember that as you go along. If you make
any mistakes along the wine making way don’t worry about it, you
are new and it happens to everyone once and awhile.

Ingredients

Center slice of ham

Small white onion (not a sweet onion)
or spring onion

a handful of bean sprouts (canned are ok drain well)

three eggs beaten

4 servings of minute rice ( use measurements for dryer rice)

Soy Sauce

cooking oil

Preparing

Cook minute rice according to directions on box for dryer rice.
Cut ham into small cubes and
place in frying pan with small amount of cooking oil
add a small diced up oinion cook on high heat until onion and ham are tender(or you can use a bunch of spring onions with green tops if using the spring onions don’t add those until the ham is fully cooked or they will get too done before the other ingredients are ready)
Add three beaten eggs and scramble together with ham and onion
add bean sprouts ( if using fresh add a couple of spoonfulls of water) don’t mix in yet leave them on top and cover with a lid and lower heat to medium and let the bean sprouts wilt some about 3 or 4 minutes should be enough then add cooked rice to ingredients mix together sprinkle on soy sauce, add it in small amounts,you can always add more if it isn’t enough.
Total time is about 20 minutes from preperation to eating so it is a quick and easy meal that tastes great with a salad and some garlic bread,nutritional too let me know if you liked it!

Sally Morris is a wife, mother, grandmother, artist, photographer,daughter of Neil Cost well known turkey call maker and Realtor in South Carolina with Coldwell Banker Timmerman & Nicholson Realty. Sally specializes in Relocation and Lake Greenwood property. To find out about property for sale and more about Sally visit her website at http://www.realestategreenwoodsc.com

Have you taken a good look in your refrigerator, lately? Your mother-in-law’s Meatloaf Surprise started living up to it’s name two weeks ago. Month-old leftovers are now candidates for Junior’s next science project.

Don’t let your food decay behind the Brita pitcher! Follow these tips to save you time, space, and wasted food:

Purge

Grab your garbage can, position it next to your refrigerator and purge it of all spoiled food. Look for tin foil sculptures and anything that wasn’t green BEFORE you bought it. Keep repeating to yourself, ‘When in doubt, throw it out.’

Make it shine!

Use some elbow grease and give those shelves, drawers, and crisper a good cleaning. It’s not easy to organize jars and containers if they’re sticking to the shelf… Clean one shelf at a time, starting with the top one. All crumbs, liquid, and unidentifiable objects that don’t make it into your paper towel will land on the shelf below, which you will be cleaning next. Once you’ve finished cleaning the bottom shelf/drawer, continue with the inside door until you’re satisfied with the job.

Group ‘em

Group similar foods together. For example, place drinks on one shelf, small snacks in a drawer, and fruits/veggies/salad products in the crisper so you are not constantly ‘hunting down’ the food you want/need at that moment. This arrangement saves you time and makes retrieving food come mealtime a less arduous task.

* Pay attention to the height of your jars and bottles. It is easier to spot your food and drink if you put large/tall jars towards the back of the refrigerator and smaller ones in the front. You’ll never see that container of yogurt if it’s trapped behind a family-sized jar of spaghetti sauce. That’s money (and spoiled yogurt) down the drain…

Give ‘em a home

Growing up, our refrigerator always had what I called ‘The Cheese Box.’ Instead of having that flat package of Swiss cheese teetering atop a jar or the shredded mozzarella accidentally flattened by a side of beef, all the cheeses would ‘live’ together in one plastic container. We always knew where to find them and whether or not we were running low. This is a perfect solution if you have small, like items floating around your fridge. If you have young children, you can create a similar container for each child and fill it with healthy snacks, punch boxes, or a loving note. This keeps ‘little fingers’ from rummaging the shelves and you can control what goes into their ’snack box.’

Give ‘em a quality home

Whether they hold groupings of food or greasy leftovers, your containers should work for you and not against you. Consider spending a few cents more for quality containers. Lids are less likely to get stuck or fly off. You don’t want to spend your time cleaning the floor or removing stains from your shirt because your container failed to do it’s job. Choose transparent or translucent containersthey allow you to see exactly what’s insideno surprises!

Give ‘em the same home

Keep your refrigerator organized by making your best attempt to return food and drink to the ‘home’ you’ve created for it. Haphazardly throwing your groceries in the fridge may save you time when you come back from the store but it will cost you precious minutes at meal planning and preparation time.

In order to keep it clean and uncluttered, purge your refrigerator as part of your weekly routine. I recommend tackling this task on the night before your garbage pick-up day. Regularly disposing of smelly substances, rotting vegetables, and other items that have overstayed their welcome will keep your fridge in tip-top shape. With determination, patience, and the right tools your refrigerator can become an organized and functional area of your home.

Stacey Agin Murray, professional organizer and owner of Organized Artistry, LLC, transforms ‘mess’ into ‘masterpiece’ with patience, organizing know-how, and a sense of humor. For more articles and to get your FREE e-list of ‘Top Ten Tips for Organized Living’ visit http://www.organizedartistry.com.

stacey@organizedartistry.com